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Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast Bake

Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast Bake is a cozy fall breakfast casserole with bread cubes soaked in a spiced pumpkin custard and a creamy cream cheese layer. It’s baked until the center is set and the top turns golden, then finished with a cinnamon-sugar streusel.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Chill 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

French toast base
  • 14 oz French bread Cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 8 oz cream cheese Soften and cube
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1.5 cup whole milk
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup pumpkin purée
  • 0.333 cup maple syrup
  • 0.25 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Streusel topping
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.333 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter Cold, cubed
  • 0.25 cup chopped pecans Optional
For serving
  • maple syrup
  • powdered sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Assemble in the baking dish
  1. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish, then spread half the French bread cubes into the dish and scatter the cream cheese cubes evenly over the bread.
  2. Top with the remaining French bread cubes, keeping them in an even layer.
Make the pumpkin custard
  1. Whisk together the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, and salt until smooth and fully combined.
Soak and refrigerate
  1. Pour the pumpkin custard evenly over the bread and press the bread gently so it absorbs the liquid.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Bake and finish
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon for the streusel, then cut in the cold butter until coarse crumbs form and stir in chopped pecans if using.
  3. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the casserole.
  4. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is set.
  5. Cool for 10 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with maple syrup.

Notes

For best sliceable texture, refrigerate overnight so the bread fully absorbs the custard. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat individual portions in the microwave or in a 300°F oven until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended due to the custard texture. Dietary swap: use lactose-free milk and lactose-free cream cheese to reduce dairy intolerance issues while keeping the bake creamy.